


Roadtrips and Realizations

by bellabee



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - No Pennywise (IT), Friends to Lovers, I apologize in advance for whatever this turned out to be, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, It's just weed tho, Modern Era, Mutual Pining, Pining, Some Swearing, Stargazing, Stozier, mentions of recreational drug use, more like stargayzing amirite, the other characters are just mentioned, wee bit of bed sharing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-02
Updated: 2019-08-02
Packaged: 2020-07-29 06:25:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20077621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bellabee/pseuds/bellabee
Summary: With the summer winding to a close, it was time for the losers to go their separate ways. They were all going to different colleges (or in Bill’s case, backpacking around Europe), and they’d no longer be the 7 little kids riding their bikes around Derry. As a last ditch attempt to spend some final time with his best friends, Stan organized a road trip to drive Beverly and Richie across the country to drop them off at their respective schools. With multiple days of driving ahead of them, they somehow become closer than before.





	Roadtrips and Realizations

**Author's Note:**

> This work was done in collaboration with artwork done by @whatidoisXsecret on tumblr! Go on and check out their other art works, they're all amazing! Art will be attached at the bottom!
> 
> You can find me on tumblr @maxine-gayfield !

To an outsider, September of 2019 was just an ordinary month. However, to the residential Losers Club of Derry, Maine, it was the true end to an era. The infamous 7 had been spending as much of the summer as possible together, but free time had become less and less available. Everyone had been picking up more shifts at their part time jobs in a last ditch attempt to save some pocket money.  


All of the meet ups that they _did_ manage to have weren’t the same as when they were kids. Just a year ago they could hang out without a care in the world, but nowadays they were all sullied by the overhanging knowledge that everything would be over soon. By the time fall came around, they would all be dispersed around the country. That fact certainly put everybody on edge, even if none of them would admit it. If they were to be honest though, they all knew things were to be coming to an end.  


The beginning of the end started on the last day of August, the day when Bill Denbrough left for Europe. He had been the only one of the losers who had decided to take a leap year, one which apparently included backpacking around another continent. He insisted that he needed to ‘find himself’ before going to college, whatever that meant. It wasn’t much of a surprise that he had been the first one to go, as he had always been the one to lead things off. Next to go had been Ben, off to Syracuse for the next chapter of his life. The next on the list to go was a group of Beverly, Richie and Stan, with plans to road trip across the country all the way to sunny California. They planned to leave bright and early on a Saturday morning, hoping to avoid some traffic on the way out of Maine. Of course they knew that it was inevitable to hit some on a 3000 mile road trip, but they hoped to avoid as much as possible.  


Well, at least Stan did, as he was the only one who had actually woken up on time. His single duffle bag was already packed for the trip, as him and his parents had already brought most of his stuff to his dorm the last time they had visited the campus. Most of the room in the car would be for Richie and whatever he was bringing, as he hadn’t exactly had the chance to bring all of his belongings across country. Stan had made sure to get everything ready the night before, though he double and triple checked once he woke up the following morning. He had a checklist of everything that he would need on his phone, going through it and his room multiple times just to be sure that he hadn’t forgotten anything.  


Once he was absolutely sure that he had everything (and was assured by his parents that they would mail out anything he didn’t), he gave his mom and dad one last proper goodbye. Not that he would admit it, but once his mother started with the waterworks he had shed a few tears of his own. With one final adjustment of the kippah on his head by his father he was gone, in his car and on his way to the Hanlon farm where the remaining losers were supposed to meet one final time.  
Unsurprisingly, Mike and Eddie were the only ones there when he arrived. Stan didn’t know why he had suspected anything more, as Bev and Richie were both notorious for sleeping in. He went inside with the two who were actually there, drinking some of the coffee that Mike had brewed up right before he had arrived. He was already wide awake with nervous energy, but he didn’t think some caffeine would do any harm.  


Beverly arrived not long after him, her aunt having dropped her off. Similar to Stan, she had already brought most of her stuff to her dorm and only had a small amount of things still with her. She came into the house as well, talking with the boys as they waited for their fashionably late friend to eventually show up.  
Luckily for everyone (mostly because Stan had been starting to get aggravated), Richie showed up not long after Bev. His dad helped him take his many bags out of the car and leave them on the ground, giving him a lingering hug and a ruffle of the hair before he was driving off again. Richie sauntered into the house, moving to sit on the chair next to Stan.  


“Fear no longer, for the man of the hour has arrived,” he announced as he grabbed the already waiting mug of coffee off of the table and chugged half in one gulp.  


Stan scrunched up his nose, giving his best friend an unimpressed look before glancing down at his watch.  


“You’re late,” he retorted dryly.  


Richie simply shrugged, his usual goofy grin growing on his face. “Better late than never, Staniel.”  


Stan rolled his eyes, something he had long since realized he did most often when Richie was nearby.  


“Not sure how much I believe that right now, but alright.”  


The other losers simply shook their heads at the familiar banter, more than used to the constant bickering when Stan and Richie were around each other. There was a time when they thought that they either didn’t like each other, but anybody who was around them long enough could tell that every snide comment had an underlying fondness attached to it.  


After a while everyone seemed to realize it was time for the three to take off, causing everybody to reluctantly walk back outside. Mike loaded Richie’s bags into the trunk and backseat as Eddie gave his goodbyes, wanting his friend to have a moment alone with them.  
It wasn’t much longer until Richie, Bev and Stan were all in the car, a bit teary eyed but otherwise ready for the long road ahead. Despite being the tallest one in the car, Richie had been made to sit in the backseat. Bev called shotgun and refused to give it up, so Richie had no choice but to oblige. However, this didn’t come without plenty of complaining.  


“My legs hurt,” he whined out, pushing them out against Bev’s chair as if to prove his point.  


The red headed girl simply rolled her eyes in response, “Not my fault you were too slow in calling shotgun. Rules are rules, you know this. Maybe be faster next time and you wouldn’t have to deal with that.”  


Stan he could see Richie mocking Beverly under his breath in the rearview mirror, but he wasn’t about to let it start up that early into the trip.  


“Listen here, it’s been a total of 10 minutes so far and we aren’t even on the highway yet. No fighting allowed until we’re at _least_ out of the state. You got it?”  


“Yeah, got it _dad_,” Bev responded teasingly, causing Richie to snicker from the backseat and Stan to shake his head.  


Stan let out a heavy sigh, knowing that he had a long drive ahead of him. “How about we listen to some music, yeah?”  


Beverly perked up at this, grabbing her phone off of her lap and opening it to access her spotify.  


“Aux me,” she said, waiting for Stan to hand her the chord before plugging it into her phone. She had been preparing a lengthy playlist ever since they had decided they were going to road trip it, fine tuning it so that it had a variety of music that they all either enjoyed or could tolerate for the sake of the others.  


First to play was one that everyone in the car could enjoy, Take Me Home, Country Roads. Richie’s pouting face dropped as he heard the beginning chords, his lips stretching into a wide grin. Within just 3 minutes and 18 seconds, the energy in the car had lifted greatly. Even Stan had started singing along by the end, something which he would only somewhat regret once he saw it on Richie’s Snapchat story later that night.  


After a bit of lighthearted carpool karaoke, they reached the highway. Bev was attempting to sketch out some designs in her sketchbook, though that took a bit of work to not drag the pencil across the page at every little bump they hit. Richie, on the other hand, had rested his head against the window after the fourth song and promptly fallen asleep. Bev had turned down the music for his sake, and they all entered a comfortable quiet between them that was only broken by song lowly pumping from the speakers.  


They made it a couple of hours before Stan needed to stop for gas, during which Bev had also fallen asleep. That didn’t surprise Stan, as he knew that his friends were in no way early birds. Once he got his coffee he was up though, so he was content to drive for the first stretch. It helped that he enjoyed driving, finding it nicely relaxing.  


He pulled off on the nearest exit, driving around until he found a gas station. He pulled up next to a pump, shutting off the car and pocketing the keys. He reached over, gently shaking Beverly awake.  


“Hey, we’re at a gas station,” he started in a quiet voice. “If you have to go to the bathroom, I’d go now.”  


She nodded sleepily, reluctantly pulling herself out of the car and into the shop. Stan woke Richie up next, sending him in after Bev. He decided to pay with his card, so he didn’t have to wander away as he filled up the tank. He waited for Bev to get back before telling her to wait and finish filling it up, as he had to go to the bathroom as well.  


As he was walking in, Richie was already leaving. He stopped him, knowing very well that his friend wouldn’t have washed his hands.  


“Sink, now. You aren’t getting back in my car without washing,” he instructed, expecting the eye roll that he got in reply.  


Richie did as he was told though, washing his hands before going back into the main part of the store. He decided that he now wanted some snacks, so he wandered around and grabbed what he wanted in his arms. He figured he should get something for Stan as well, since he didn’t like most of the snacks that him and Bev did. He wandered around until he found the unshelled sunflower seeds, grabbing a pack of those before making his way up to the counter.  


He walked back to the car with his bag in hand, noticing that Bev was still outside of it and smirking.  


“Shotgun!” He called out, opening the door and getting in before she could stop him. He had a self satisfied grin on his face as he sat down, kicking his feet up on the dash for as long as he could before Stan came back out.  


“Gotta be quicker than that,” he said, mocking Bev’s words as she grumpily climbed into the backseat. He handed her a bag of Doritos to hold her over before she could retort, effectively shutting her up before she even started.  


Stan came out just a few minutes later, a coffee cup in hand. He set it down in the cup holder before climbing in himself, it only taking a moment before he realized the change in seating. He shrugged it off, seeing as neither of them were arguing over it he didn’t really mind. He buckled up, turning on the car before glancing at the other two again.  


“You both have everything that you need?”  


He waited until he got two confirmations before pulling out his spot, making his way back onto the main road and eventually onto the highway. He sipped on his coffee as he went, somewhat for the caffeine but mostly just because he liked the flavor. He glanced over at a snacking Richie, trying to see what he had bought but needing to look back at the road before he figured it out.  


“You get anything good?” He asked the boy sitting next to him as he started to get a bit.  


Richie nodded, digging through the bag until he found the bag of sunflower seeds. “Got your favorite, Stan the Man.  


Stan’s lips stretched into a slight smile as he reached over, taking the packet from Richie. “Thanks, Rich.”  


He went to open it before realizing it was a two hand job and handing it back to him sheepishly. “Can you open that for me?”  


Richie, ever the helping hand, pulled the bag open with enough force that a handful of the seeds went flying. “Oops?” He tried as he noticed that a few had landed in Stan’s hair. “I’ll clean them the next time we stop, I promise.”  


Stan let out a heavy sigh, reaching one of his hands up to flick the seed out of his hair. “There better not be a seed left in this car, Tozier.”  


Richie gave him a mock salute as he grabbed one of the seeds from inside of the bag. “Aye aye, Captain.” He reached over, holding the seed against Stan’s lips and pressing insistently until he parted his lips to let it in. He let his fingers linger for a moment before dropping, though his eyes didn’t leave him.  


“Any reason why you’re feeding me?” He asked with a raised eyebrow once he had swallowed.  


Richie shrugged, pressing another seed to Stan’s lips as he finished talking. “Can’t have the driver driving with one hand just for some snackage. Just doing my passenger seat duty.”  


Stan rolled his eyes but didn’t argue, only because he knew for a fact that Richie had washed his hands earlier. He let himself be fed another seed every minute or so, until Richie started to get antsy.  


“I’m _bored_,” he whined out.  


Bev peeked her head up from the backseat at his words, startling Stan enough to jump a bit.  


“Let’s play a game!” She suggested enthusiastically.  


Stan, forever unimpressed, raised his eyebrow yet again. “And what game would you suggest, Miss Marsh?”  


Beverly thought about it for a moment, going over all of the car games she had played in her life. “Oh, I’ve got one! Me and my aunt used to always play this one on roadtrips. We just called it the alphabet game, I don’t know if it has an actual name. So basically, you go through the alphabet and fill in the blanks. Hi my name is **blank**. My husband’s name is **blank**. We come from **blank**, and we sell **blank**. What do you think?”  
Stan and Richie paid attention to her long winded explanation, ultimately deciding that that would do for the time being. They both spoke their approval, much to Bev’s delight.  


“Okay, I’ll start. Hi, my name is Abby…”  


That game kept the three busy quite some time, going a few rounds with it before starting up another. They managed to get another hour into their 25 hour journey out of the way before collectively deciding that they should stop for lunch. Bev GPSed them to the nearest McDonalds, causing Richie to chant “McDonalds, McDonalds, McDonalds!” The whole way there. It tempted Stan to go through the drive through and order something just for himself, but he wasn’t _that cruel._  


He pulled into the first parking spot that he found, wasting no time in climbing out of the car. He groaned quietly as he stretched out his limbs, feeling the much needed stretch. He reached back into the car for his wallet and phone, slipping them into his pockets as Bev and Richie did the same. He locked the car as they walked into the establishment, each of them getting in line and looking up at the menu.  


Once they all had ordered and paid, Bev went off to find a table for them all while Richie and Stan waited to collect the food. Richie, ever the flirt, was attempting to chat up the cashier.  


“So, you come here often?” He asked in what Stan supposed was supposed to be a smooth voice.  


The worker gave Richie an unimpressed look. “To my job?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.  


Stan held back a snicker at her words, but he couldn’t explain the slight pang he felt in his chest. It wasn’t the first time he had felt that, but he had always denied it when he did. In his mind, denial was much, _much_ better than accepting the inevitable.  


Luckily for him, he was saved from watching Richie’s failed attempts for much longer when another worker brought their trays to the counter. He grabbed two of them, leaving the last one for Richie.  


Richie lingered for a moment, but when he made it to the table he had his receipt clutched in his hand. There was also the signature trashmouth smirk pulling at his lips as he slid into the booth next to Bev.  


“And that, ladies and gentlemen,” he started as he placed the receipt face up on the table, “is how it’s done.”  


Stan looked down at it, scoffing as he noticed that he had somehow managed to get the girl’s number. He never understood how Richie always managed to do it, as half of the time the people he was pursuing looked anything but interested. He just had this weird, almost magnetic energy to him that somehow drew people in.  


“You’re never even gonna see her again, what’s the point?”  


Beverly, as it turned out, did not hold the same qualms as Stan did. She held up her 1hand, providing the high five that Richie had been waiting for.  


“Nice, Rich,” she said before shrugging at Stan’s words. “Who’s to say they can’t talk? People form relationships online all of the time.”  


Richie grinned through a mouthful of fries, ignoring the way Stan scrunched up his nose at the sight. “The point is how easily I can do it. You’re just jealous of that Tozier charm, Staniel. I probably won’t even text her.”  


Stan shook his head at Richie, “You’re an ass, you know that?”  


Richie shrugged, winking at Stan as he took a large bite of his burger. “You still love me, though.”  


Stan simply shook his head, not saying anything else on the matter as he ate his chicken nuggets. He realized that he may have been projecting a bit in his reaction to the situation, but he knew that Richie wouldn’t have noticed. However, Bev was giving her usual knowing look towards Stan.  


She steered the topic away from it though, bringing up something that she was planning to do on campus once she got settled in. Stan was thankful for it, as he didn’t want to dwell on it much. It didn’t take them long to finish up eating, and soon enough they were all throwing their garbage out.  
Richie had ‘accidentally’ tossed out his written on receipt, but he reacted with such nonchalance that it was clear to the others that it had been on purpose. He walked over to the car, holding out his hands for Stan to toss him the keys.  


They knew that they would take shifts in driving, and now was Richie’s turn. Stan handed him the keys instead of tossing them, not wanting him to drop them.  


“Don’t kill us,” he said as he opened the door to the backseat.  


Unlike Richie and Bev, Stan didn’t actually mind sitting in the backseat. He usually had enough leg room, and he found it was more comfortable when it came to napping. He grabbed the blanket that he had stored back there, spreading it out over his lap as he made himself comfortable. He pulled out his book that he had brought with him, The Great Gatsby. He tuned out whatever the other two were talking about, letting himself get lost in his book.  


Before he knew it, he had drifted off against the window. He had hit a caffeine crash, and sometime in between pages in his book he had passed out. The lull of the engine just helped smooth the process along as he peacefully snoozed.  


He woke with a sudden start as they hit a pothole, his head bouncing against the window and jolting him awake.  


“Ow, what the fuck?” He exclaimed as he rubbed the side of his head.  


Richie looked at him through the rearview mirror, giving him a sheepish smile, “Sorry, Stanny. I tried to avoid it.”  


Stan sighed, reaching up to rub the sleep out of his eyes. “It’s fine. How long was I out?”  


Richie shrugged, having not noticed when he had fallen asleep until he tried to ask him a question earlier. “I dunno, at least an hour though.”  


Stan nodded, stifling a yawn in his hand. “How much longer ‘til Minnesota?”  


Bev glanced at the GPS on her phone, looking to see how much longer. “We’ve still got like 20 hours to go. That’s not including time to sleep, by the way.”  


They had contemplated trying to just take long enough driving shifts that everyone would be able to sleep without the need for a motel, but they decided that it was unrealistic. For one, none of them wanted to drive for that long in a row without taking any breaks. Two, they knew they wouldn’t be able to get enough sleep in the car, nor would it be a good sleep. They figured that it would be too dangerous, so they found a decent looking yet still cheap motel that they should have been able to reach by around 2 in the morning.  


Stan nodded as he stretched out as well as he could in the somewhat cramped car. “How much longer til driver switch?” He asked, even though he wouldn’t have to drive for a bit still.  


“I’ve still got a good few hours in me,” Richie said as he tapped on the wheel. “You probably won’t be driving again until tonight.”  


Now that Stan was awake again, Bev took the liberty to turn up the music. One of Stan’s favorite songs had started playing, Sweater Weather, so he was quietly humming along in the back while Ben and Richie belted out the lyrics. He tried to go unnoticed, but of course Richie had to somehow hear him over the sound of his own voice.  


“C’mon, Stanley! Let us hear those pipes!”  


Stan rolled his eyes but obliged, starting to sing along with his friends. Richie turned up the volume even louder, letting it blast throughout the car as they cruised down the highway.  


The rest of the day went on much like that, a mixture of singing loudly, playing car games, reading and napping. At one point they pulled off of the highway to stop for some dinner, just getting some more fast food to eat. Bev and Richie traded spots, with Bev driving while Richie sat passenger.  


Eventually the sky turned dark and the roads got emptier as the night came closer. Both Richie and Stan dozed on and off in their seats, while Bev drove the rest of the way to the motel. She didn’t wake the boys until they arrived, telling them to get up and get out.  


She went in to get them a room while they got themselves out of the car, Stan grabbing his bag while Richie decided to leave all of his stuff in there until the morning. They both leaned against the car, waiting while Bev finished up getting the room key.  


She came over to them a moment later, nodding for them to follow her. She led them to their room, which was luckily only a few down from the office. She inserted the key card, waiting for the light to turn green before opening the door. The room contained two queen sized beds and an attached bathroom.  


While Richie and Bev each made their way to a separate bed, Stan went to the bathroom. He wanted to wash the day off of him, so he went in to take a shower. He didn’t spend too long in there, emerging into the now steamy room just a few minutes later. He grabbed one of the towels and dried off before going about his nightly skincare routine. He changed into his pajamas after brushing his teeth, hanging up his towel before finally emerging from the room.  


A quick glance showed him that Beverly had already fallen asleep, but Richie was laying in the other bed on his phone. Stan set his bag down at the end of the bed, hesitating for a moment before climbing on next to Richie. He slid under the blanket, letting it fall around him as Richie looked up.  


“Hey there, Stan the man,” he whispered, his words slightly slurred together as he smiled lazily at Stan.  


Stan chuckled quietly, ignoring how his heart skipped a beat from the way he was being looked at.  


“Hey, Rich,” he whispered back, his voice barely audible. “Thought you’d be asleep by now.”  


Richie shook his head, accidentally forcing his glasses askew. “Got distracted on Reddit,” he explained.  


Stan reached out as if on instinct, fixing Richie’s glasses and pushing them back up his nose. He immediately pulled his hand back once he realized what he had done, a flash of embarrassment hitting him as he awkwardly cleared his throat.  


“Well, you should try and get some sleep. We’re probably leaving early again tomorrow.”  


Luckily for Stan, Richie didn’t think too much about it. He simply nodded along, shutting his phone off and setting it on the bedside table. He took his glasses off as well, placing them close enough to the edge that they almost teetered off before steadying themselves. He rolled over to lie on his stomach, his long limbs invading Stan’s personal space.  


Stan, who had turned onto his back while Richie put his belongings on the nightstand, scoffed and pushed Richie’s arms away.  


“Stay on your side of the bed, Tozier.”  


Richie gave him a muffled response that may have been words, but it was too intelligible to truly be able to tell. He was out within a minute of closing his eyes, letting out quiet snores into his pillow.  


Stan took a bit longer to drift off, as he so often did. He lay staring at the ceiling, his eyes tracing every vein that went along the drywall. His only source of light came from the neon Motel sign that stood proudly outside, the red light shining through the sliver in the curtains just enough to illuminate the room in a way his eyes could see through.  


His mind wandered, but it kept coming back to the same thing. He couldn’t stop thinking about how much his life was changing, and how it wasn’t going to stop for a long while now. He was going to be in a completely new city, surrounded by completely new people and a completely new atmosphere for the first time in his life.  


He was used to everything being the same. Every day he’d wake up in the same grey-walled room that he had been in since he was born, he’d see his parents every morning, zand he would go through the same morning routine to get ready.  


Now though, nothing would be the same. He would wake up in a new dorm room, across from some stranger who he had no idea whether or not he would get along with. He wouldn’t have the privacy that had come with being an only child anymore, nor would he be able to until he was able to afford living off campus by himself.  


He would have to structure a whole new routine for himself, something that he wasn’t even sure he was ready for. He always had trouble dealing with change, as he liked everything staying the same. He had no choice but to get used to it though, because whether he liked it or not change was inevitable.  


The more he thought about it, the more he realized what he was really going to miss the most; the losers. They had been a close knit group of friends since they were 12 years old, some of them even longer than that. He was used to seeing at least one of them practically every day, and now he wouldn’t see any of them until winter break at the earliest.  


He tried to shake himself out of that state of mind, not wanting to force himself into a breakdown while his best friend was sleeping next to him. He made his eyes fall shut, and soon enough he was able to fall asleep as well.  


The three slept peacefully through the night, with Stan unsurprisingly waking up first. Despite being the last to fall asleep, his inner clock was used to waking him up early. What was surprising though, was the fact that there was an arm wrapped around his waist when he came to.  


He slowly blinked his eyes open, gazing blearily down at the arm around his stomach. He suddenly felt the presence of a warm body against his back as well, and it didn’t take long for him to figure out what was going on. Somehow throughout the course of the night him and Richie had ended up spooning. It wasn’t the first time that Richie had managed to cuddle one of the losers in their sleep, but it was the first time it had happened to Stan.  


He didn’t know what to do, so he stayed laying stiffly for a bit. He eventually reached for his phone, managing to do so without jostling Richie too much. He turned it on, noticing a text from Mike asking how the trip was going so far. He texted him back that all was well, setting his phone back down when he saw that he had no other notifications. Before he knew it, he had fallen back asleep, surprisingly comfortable in Richie’s arms.  


The next time he woke up Beverly was awake as well, scrolling through her phone on the other bed. She glanced over at him, giving him a knowing smile as she eyed his position.  


“Comfy?” She asked teasingly.  


Stan felt the tips of his ears warm at Bev’s words as he glared at her. He tried to remove Richie’s arm from around him, but the other boy only tightened it in response. Stan’s blush spread to his cheeks at this, and he pulled a few more times before finally being freed from his hold. He sat up, pushing his ringlet curls back out of his face with an indignant huff.  


Richie had started to stir from all of the movement, groaning quietly as he opened his eyes.  


“What’s got your panties in a twist,” he grumbled as he squinted up at Stan.  


Stan rolled his eyes, refusing to look at Richie, “_Somebody_ doesn’t understand personal space.”  


Richie stretched out his arms as Stan spoke, shrugging when he finished. He realized that he had probably been cuddling Stan in his sleep, but that didn’t affect him that much.  


“I’m sure you liked it, Staniel,” he teased. “Everybody likes the signature Trashmouth cuddles,” he said, shooting him a wink.  


Stan huffed again as Bev started to laugh from her bed, standing up and walking to the end of the bed. He didn’t dignify Richie with a response as he grabbed his bag, giving the two the silent treatment as he retreated into the bathroom. He took his time to brush his teeth and get dressed for the day before returning to the room, noticing that Bev was gone.  


He asked Richie where she had went as he sat back down on the edge of the bed, grabbing his phone again so that he could text his mom an update.  


“Oh, she went to get us all some breakfast. Should be back in a minute.”  


Stan nodded, staying perched on the edge of the bed as Richie rolled off of it.  


“I’m gonna go take a piss,” he announced, causing Stan to scoff as we walked towards the now empty bathroom.  


“Thanks for sharing,” he deadpanned, rolling his eyes at the finger guns he received in response.  


He didn’t look up from his phone as Richie came back in, but he did raise his head as he heard his keys being picked up from the nightstand. He raised his eyebrows in question as Richie twirled them around his fingers.  


“Gotta grab my bag,” he explained as he slid his shoes on.  


Stan nodded his approval, letting Richie walk out of the room. Almost as soon as he left, Bev came back in with a few plates of food balancing in her arms. She walked over to her bed and set them down, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand when she finished.  


“Got you some eggs and a pancake,” she said, holding out the plate to Stan.  


Stan took the plate gratefully, picking up the fork to pick up a bite of eggs. “Thanks, Bev,” he said before taking the bite.  


He hummed at the taste, not thinking that they were anything special but that they were decent enough to eat. They sat in a comfortable silence as they both ate- that is until a loud knock interrupted them.  


Stan rolled his eyes, knowing that it was probably just Richie. He stood up, walking over to the door and pulling it open.  


“Should have taken the key, dumbass,” he reprimanded.  


Richie shot him a lazy grin as he walked in, tossing his bag onto the floor. “Where’s the fun in that when I can just get door service instead?”  


He grabbed the third breakfast plate, drowning his pancake in the syrup from the small packet Bev had brought him before starting to shove it into his mouth.  


“What time are we leaving,” he asked, his mouth still full.  


Stan scrunched up his nose as he saw the syrup covering Richie’s mouth and the mouthful of food that he had. “As soon as we’re all ready.”  


“One, swallow before you speak,” Bev chimed in, “and two, I already showered and stuff. So once Richie is done we should be good to go.”  


Richie opened his mouth, but Stan cut him off before he could speak.  


“Yes, you need to shower before we leave. You aren’t getting in my car all gross and sticky.”  


Richie grumbled under his breath but gave in, knowing it was easier to just shower than to try and argue with Stan. It had taken him a long time to learn that lesson, but Stan was nothing if not persistent.  


Stan nodded his head in satisfaction, continuing to eat his breakfast now that the minor issue had been settled. It didn’t take long for them all to finish their food, all of their plates being stacked up on the nightstand to be brought back to the staff.  


Richie got up to reluctantly take a shower, taking his bag in with him so he would be able to change. As soon as the water was turned on, Bev was looking at Stan expentantly.  


“What?” He asked as she continued to stare at him like he was supposed to know what she wanted.  


“You need to tell him,” she said, causing Stan to sputter.  


“Excuse me? Tell who what, exactly?” He asked, feigning obliviousness.  


Beverly gave him a deadpan look. “Stan, you know what I’m talking about. Don’t act like you don’t.”  


Stan let out an indignant huff and shook his head in denial. “I have no idea what you’re on about.”  


Bev sighed, pushing a strand of her short red hair out of his face. “You have to tell Richie how you feel,” she said, lowering her voice just in case.  


Stan crossed his arms over his chest, purposefully avoiding eye contact with her. She was the only person who knew about his… _predicament_ when it came to his best friend. She had figured it out herself, as Stan barely admitted it to himself, let alone somebody else. However, ever since she had connected the dots, she hadn’t stopped hounding him on it.  


She constantly tried to convince him that he should tell Richie, even though that was not something he ever planned on doing. He wasn’t really one to confess his feelings to people, especially not when that person had been his best friend since they were in diapers.  


“You know I can’t do that,” Stan said quietly after a moment, finally looking back at the girl across from him.  


Bev sighed, shaking his head. “This might be your last chance. If you don’t do it before you leave him in Cali, you never will. He deserves to know, Stan.”  


Stan worried his lower lip between his teeth, hating to admit that she was right but knowing that she was. He knew that he _should_ tell Richie, he just didn’t exactly know _how_. It wasn’t like he could just go up to him and say, ‘Oh, hey. By the way, I think I might be in love with you. Carry on.’  


Despite the fact that he very much did not want to tell Richie anyways, Stan somehow found himself nodding at Bev’s words.  


“I’ll try,” he said before he could stop himself.  


Bev, knowing that Stan was likely to back out of it, held up her pinky to him. “Swear it,” she insisted.  


Stan let out an exasperated sigh at the childish move, “Swear _what_?”  


“Pinky swear to me that you’ll say something to him before the trip is over.”  


Stan thought for a moment before giving in, reaching up to wrap his pinky around hers. “Fine, I swear.”  


Bev gave him a softer smile, releasing his pinky just to grab onto his hand. “You can do this, Stanley. I believe in you. I mean, what’s the worst that can happen? He doesn’t feel the same? At least you’ll have some closure.”  


Stan gave her a weak smile back, nodding along as she spoke. Everything she was saying made sense, and the more he thought about the more he got on board. He convinced himself that he would rather have closure- whether that be positive or negative- than spend forever thinking of what could have been.  


“You’re right,” he agreed. “It’s better to tell and get rejected than to never say anything at all.”  


The words were used as much to agree with Bev as they were to help himself. He knew that there was a large chance that he would regret his words when the time came, but for now he was okay with them. He may chicken out days down the line, but he had to believe that he would actually go for it for once.  


Their conversation was cut off as the water shut off in the bathroom, alerting them that Richie was getting out of the shower. They shared one last smile before going on their phones, acting as if nothing happened for when Richie came out of the shower.  


By the time Richie was done in the shower, it didn’t take them much longer to check out. They hadn’t brought much into the room with them, so they didn’t have to worry much about leaving anything behind. They put everything back in the car, letting Bev check them out before they were back on the road.  


The day went like most of the day before, with alternating drivers every few hours. They kept themselves entertained with the same mixture of music, games, reading/sketching, and/or napping. They luckily managed to not get stuck in too much traffic, and when they did it only lasted for about 20 minutes.  


Before they knew it, the sun was setting and they were only an hour out. The car took on a bit of a more solemn energy, as they knew that very soon they would be leaving each other for months. They turned the music down, deciding to use their remaining time to recall old memories instead.  
“Remember that time when we were like 14 and your aunt caught us hotboxing your room?” Richie said to Bev from his spot in the back, pulling a laugh from said girl.  


“Oh _god_, she was so pissed off,” she said with a tittering laugh. “She wasn’t supposed to be home until the next morning, in my defense.”  


Stan laughed along with them, having remembered hearing about it that night when Richie had left Bev’s to come over to his house. That was a bit of a habit of his, thinking back. Whenever Richie would get high over at Bev’s, more often than not he would end up at Stan’s house.  


“I remember that time specifically, you came over after Rachel kicked you out and climbed up to my old treehouse. You then proceeded to call me 4 times until I woke up and brought you out some snacks,” he added, pulling more laughter from the other two.  


“Didn’t we fall asleep in there that night? You tried to go back inside but I pouted until you laid down with me,” Richie said, able to remember that night clearly.  


“Yeah, and it was fucking freezing, too. That I definitely don’t forget.”  


Bev smiled to herself as the boys talked, hoping that Stan kept good on his promise and confessed. She could sense something that he didn’t, or maybe he did but just refused to accept it. She had a pretty good feeling that his feelings weren’t as unrequited as he thought, but any time she had tried to say that he had shut her down.  


45 minutes and a few more memories later, they were pulling into the parking lot closest to Bev’s dorm building. Stan found a spot, as it was fairly empty, and pulled in, turning off the car reluctantly. They all got out, Richie and Stan grabbing her two bags as she led them to her dorm room.  


They walked in a somewhat sad silence, as they knew they now only had minutes left. Bev stuck the lock in the key once they arrived, twisting the knob and pushing open the door. She gestured for them to set the bags down on the bed and they did, but as soon as their hands were empty she was pulling them both into a group hug.  


“I’m gonna miss you guys,” she mumbled, finally dropping her front that she was completely okay with leaving them all.  


She had been trying to be the strong one through everything, but it was clear now that it was affecting her. She was obviously excited to be going to one of her top schools, but it was a bittersweet feeling as she’d be leaving her best friends.  


The boys automatically hugged her back, Stan cradling her to his chest while Richie rested his chin on her head.  


“We’re gonna miss you too, Ringwald,” Richie said, letting out a quiet laugh at the playful smack to the side he received in response.  


“Oh, fuck off Trashmouth,” Bev retorted, though it had drawn a laugh from her.  


She pulled back from the hug, surreptitiously wiping her eyes. Despite her barely hidden tears, she still had a wide smile on her face.  


“You two go do good, you hear me? I expect you both to be the top of your classes, no exceptions,” she said sternly, placing her hands on her lips. “And hey, don’t be afraid to join any clubs either. I’m looking at you, Stanley. And Richie, you better record every stand up gig you manage to book. I want to see every one of them, alright? Make some new friends, okay? Just not better friends than me, obviously.”  


Stan let out a laugh as she directed the words at him and nodded, “I’ll find a club, promise.” He shook his head as she told him not to make any friends that were better than her, “Impossible, Marsh. Nobody holds a candle.”  


“Was that a redhead joke?” Richie chimed in, earning two well deserved middle fingers in return.  


After exchanging a few more hugs, it was time for the boys to be off. Bev reached up, straightening the kippah on Stan’s head as she pulled away from what she claimed was her last hug.  


“You two be safe out there, alright? Find another motel if you get too tired to drive, or at least pull over. Keep me updated, too. I wanna know when you get there.”  


Stan nodded, giving her a reassuring smile, “We will. You have fun here, okay? The University of Minnesota won’t know what hit them when they see what you can do.”  


Richie leaned in for a final hug as well, ruffling her hair when he pulled back. “Let me know if your roommate is hot or not,” he joked.  


“Beep beep, Richie,” Stan and Bev chorused unsurprisingly.  


Bev followed them the few steps to the door, pulling it open for them and standing in front of it as they walked out. “I’ll see you guys during winter break.”  


As Richie and Stan started to walk off, she grabbed the latter’s arm and pulled him back. “Remember what I said. Tell him,” she whispered before letting him go again.  


Stan stumbled for a second, but he quickly righted himself. He nodded at her words, assuring her that he would before catching up with Richie.  


They walked to the car together quietly, Stan unlocking it and getting back in the driver’s seat. He turned the music back on as he pulled back onto the road, getting back to the highway easily. The car felt weird without Bev at first, as she had been a constant in it the past couple of days.  


Richie started doing what he did best to combat the awkward silence- talked. He talked about whatever came to mind, mostly what he was looking forward to in California. He talked about his classes, what he thought the people would be like, how he hoped to be discovered doing one of the gigs he knew he’d one day get.  


Stan appreciated the talking, it being a welcome distraction. Even if he would sometimes act like he didn’t, he had always liked to hear Richie talk. Richie could ramble on and on for hours, while Stan was usually more subdued. They balanced each other out perfectly, as Stan liked to listen without adding.  


This continued for quite some time, as it took Richie a long time to run out of topics. Once he finally did, he turned to face Stan fully.  


"Stan, I’m hungry,” he whined childishly.  


Stan sighed, shaking his head at him. “We just ate a couple hours ago, Richie. How are you already hungry again?”  


Richie shrugged, but he pushed an exaggerated pout onto his lips. “I don’t know, I just am. C’mon Stan, let’s stop at Denny’s or something. I want some pancakes. Please, please, please, please, _please_.”  


Stan, knowing that he would snap if Richie didn’t stop talking, just gave in. “Fine, whatever. Find the nearest Denny’s on your GPS and map us there.”  


Richie grinned victoriously, pulling out his phone and searching it up. “Okay, you’re gonna stay in this lane for 15 minutes, then make the next exit.”  


Stan nodded, letting Richie navigate him to the restaurant. It didn’t take long before they pulled up, and Stan found a parking spot in the near empty lot.  


Richie was out of the door before the car was even off, pulling another exasperated sigh from Stan. Stan turned the car off, making sure he had his phone and wallet before joining his excited friend. He locked the car before walking up to the front entrance, holding open the door for Richie.  


They were seated fairly quickly and handed menus, the waiter taking their drink orders before walking off. Stan flicked through his menu, not all that hungry but figuring that he should eat something anyways. He decided on some pancakes, and Richie had already known what he wanted before they arrived.  


The waiter came back with their drinks a couple of minutes later, setting them down in front of them.  


“So, did you two know what you wanted to order?”  


Stan and Richie relayed their orders and he nodded along, writing down the specifics as they went.  


“Okay so, one stack of blueberry pancakes and one grandslam with two scrambled eggs, two chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, and white toast?” He confirmed, receiving two nods in return.  


“Yep, sounds good,” Stan replied with a polite smile.  


The waiter nodded, his eyes lingering on Stan for a moment. “I’ll get that right out to you,” he said, shooting Stan a wink before walking off.  


Richie raised an eyebrow as he looked back at Stan. “Did you see that? He was totally checking you out,” he said, something unidentifiable in his voice as he spoke.  


Stan shook his head, giving Richie a look of disbelief. “What? No he wasn’t. He was just being a good waiter.  


Richie shook his head as well, “No, trust me. I’ve checked enough people out to know when somebody else is doing it. He’s totally into you.”  


“You’re delusional, Richie,” Stan retorted adamantly, not believing Richie’s words for a second.  


Richie let it drop for now, but he made it clear that he thought that he was right. It didn’t take too long for the waiter to come back out with their food, expertly placing the plates down in front of each of them.  


“Here we go, that should be everything. Let me know if you need anything,” he said to the both of them, though his eyes were still trained on Stan.  


“We will, thanks,” Richie cut in, causing Stan to furrow his eyebrows.  


Stan thanked the waiter before he awkwardly walked off, turning to Richie as he started to eat. “What was that about?”  


Richie looked at him innocently and shrugged, “What was what about?”  


“You know what I mean. Why did you snap at him like that?”  


“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Staniel. I was perfectly normal to him.”  


Stan shook his head, not sure why Richie was acting weird all of a sudden. He started to eat his pancakes as a distraction, trying to ignore it. The waiter came up to check on them a couple times while they ate, each time putting most of his attention onto Stan.  


By the time he came to ask if they needed any boxes, Richie gave a clearly fake smile as he told him to just bring the check. Stan, who had gotten a bit fed up with Richie’s sudden attitude, rolled his eyes.  


“Why don’t you just go wait by the car if you’re gonna be an asshole? I’ll be right out.”  


Richie scoffed but pushed out of his chair, setting down some money in front of his plate before walking out to the car. Stan shook his head, but he gave the waiter another polite smile when he came back.  


“Sorry about my friend, he’s probably just tired,” he apologized.  


The guy shook it off, returning Stan’s smile with a beaming one. “No worries. I can’t blame him for being jealous. I would be too.”  


Stan did a double take at his words, furrowing his eyebrows. “W-what?” He spluttered, “He wasn’t jealous.”  


He got a shrug in return, “I dunno man, seemed pretty jealous to me. I guess I’d be jealous too if some random dude was flirting with my boyfriend.”  


Stan was full of confusion now, as the man both thought that him and Richie were dating and admitted that he had been flirting. “He’s not my boyfriend,” he defended weakly.  


He was met with a look of disbelief, “Wait, really? Are you sure?”  


“Um, yeah. I’m pretty sure we aren’t dating.”  


“Huh, didn’t seem like he thought that.” He set down the check when he finished talking, realizing that this wasn’t going to go anywhere. “Have a good night. I hope you figure out whatever is going on between you.”  


Stan nodded dumbly, not knowing what to think. “Oh uh, good night.”  


He pulled out the money he needed to pay for his own food, leaving a few dollars as a tip before going out to the car. He found Richie sitting on the curb in front of it, a dwindling cigarette held precariously between his fingers.  


He didn’t look up as Stan came out, just took a slow drag before blowing out the smoke. Stan moved to sit next to him, looking over at him with an indescribable expression.  


“So, are we gonna talk about what just happened?”  


Richie shook his head, but he was sure to blow the smoke away from Stan as he took another drag. “What’s there to talk about?”  


Stan scoffed, rolling his eyes. “You know what there is to talk about. You were acting like a dick in there for no reason.”  


Richie shrugged it off, clearly not in the mood to give anything away. “No clue what you’re talking about.”  


Stan shook his head, standing up and getting in the car. “C’mon, let’s go,” he said before pulling the door shut with more force than was probably necessary. He turned on the car, waiting for Richie to get in as well.  


Richie stubbed out his cigarette, flicking it into a trash can before getting into the car. He grabbed the container of mints that Stan kept in the car, popping one into his mouth without a word.  


They drove in a tense silence, Richie looking out the window while Stan focused on driving. They switched places after Stan stopped for gas, Richie taking over driving after that.  


He drove for a couple of hours before getting tired and deciding to stop at a motel for the night. He had Stan find one close to them, and they were there within the half hour. Stan made sure that they had separate beds this time around, as he for once didn’t want to be next to Richie.  


Stan yet again stayed awake staring at the ceiling late into the night. He was trying to figure out why Richie was acting so odd, as he was still denying what the waiter had told him. There was no way that Richie was jealous. He had no reason to be- they weren’t even together. And even with that, Richie didn’t like him like that.  


He spent a long time that night trying to come up with any logical explanation, but anything he could come up with was just uncharacteristic of Richie. He wasn’t one to be rude to people for no reason, especially not some random waiter.  


He eventually passed out still thinking about it, though he had yet to come to a reasonable conclusion. The seemingly permanent wrinkle that had formed between his eyebrows finally smoothed out as he slept, the stresses of the day leaving along with his consciousness.  


Things were much better the next day, as they had both calmed down with some sleep. Things went back to normal, with both of them ignoring what had happened the night before. After a couple of showers, they were back on the road again- this time, Los Angeles as the destination.  


They were able to talk lightheartedly again as they drove, whatever had happened the night before now in the past. They found that now that they were used to it, it wasn’t as weird being in the car without Bev. It was just like every other time that they had hung out in the past, the only difference being the location.  


The day seemed to go by surprisingly quickly, as time tended to feel sped up when it was just the two of them alone. They had that effect on each other- being so enamored by the other that it seemed like they were stuck in time when they were together.  


They ended their second to last day in yet another motel room, though this one only had a single queen bed. The two claimed to each other that it was to ‘save money’, but deep down they knew that wasn’t really the case. For once Stan fell asleep easily, drifting off almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.  


Luckily (or unluckily, depending on how you looked at it), they woke up on different sides of the bed. Stan slid out first, going to take a shower while Richie slept in. He thought while he was in there, knowing that this was probably their last day together. They were scheduled to make it to UCLA by late that night, much to Stan’s disappointment. He wasn’t ready to leave his best friend behind as they started their own lives.  


Regardless of any other feelings, Richie had always been one of the most important people in his life. They had grown up side by side with their mothers as best friends, and they had grown close over the years. The longest they had gone without seeing each other was the time Stan and his parents went on a two week summer vacation in the 8th grade, but even then when they had seen each other again they were joined at the hip.  


Now they wouldn’t be seeing each other again for months, something that neither of them were truly prepared for. It was something that would take a lot of getting used to and would probably include a lot of facetime calls.  


Richie was awake by the time Stan got out of the shower, and they exchanged small smiles.  


“Morning,” Stan greeted as he put his pajamas into his bag.  


Richie yawned, waving at him. “Mornin’, Stan the man.”  


They didn’t address the fact that this was their last morning together, as both of them wanted to ignore it for as long as possible. Richie showered, changing into a striped long sleeved shirt underneath a tye dye t-shirt despite the clashing patterns  


“Are you incapable of wearing a normal outfit” Stan asked as he gathered his belongings.  


Richie shrugged, not thinking much of it as he got his own stuff. “Yeah but I look hot. Worth it.”  


After a bit of back and forth over whether or not Richie should change, ultimately deciding on letting him stay in what he had picked out. After the playful argument, they were in the car and on the final stretch to the golden state.  


Most of the drive consisted of them reminiscing the past and talking about their futures, elaborating on the things they planned on doing in college. Richie planned on looking for either a drama or comedy club to join, while Stan was considering looking into a debate club.  


It was easy for them to converse, as it always was. The topics just kept coming, and they kept talking. They talked for hours into the car ride, not stopping the closer they got to their destination.  


Everything was going smoothly until they were on a long road, no other cars around. All of a sudden there was a loud bang, startling the both of them. The car started to decelerate, and Stan tried to pull over to the side of the road as soon as he could. He stopped the car completely once he had the ability to,  


He turned on his hazards, his heart still pumping quickly from the adrenaline.  


“Okay, what the fuck was that?” Richie asked as he looked over at Stan.  


Stan let out a heavy sigh as he put his car into park, popping the trunk of the car.  


“Tire popped somehow. Come help me try and change it.”  


Richie followed his instructions, getting out of the car alongside Stan. They went to the back of the car, Stan pushing open the trunk and moving the bags out of the way. He found the spare tire and materials that his father had insisted that he keep in there, something that he was extremely grateful for. He went over to wear the tire had popped, squinting against the darkness.  


He crouched down, trying to see if he’d be able to do what he needed to change it. “It’s way too dark for me to do this right now. I’d need you to help and I can’t do that if you’re holding a flashlight.”  


He groaned, running a heavy hand over his face. He certainly hadn’t expected a flat tire to top off the already stressful night, especially not when they were only a couple hours away from the college.  


Richie, always the one to lighten up situations, crouched down next to him and clapped a hand on his shoulders. “It’s alright, Stan the man. So we sleep in the car for the night, who cares? I’m sure we’ll survive.”  


Stan shook his head, still feeling the stress of what was happening. He didn’t pay attention as Richie opened the backseat of the car and pulled out his blanket, not looking up until a hand was thrust in front of his face.  


“C’mon,” Richie insisted, shaking the hand insistently until Stan took it and pulled himself up.  


Richie shut the trunk before leading Stan to the grassy expanse next to where they had pulled over. He spread out the blanket, sitting down on it and gesturing for Stan to do the same.  


“See, not too bad,” Richie said as he laid back. “Look at all of the stars you can see from here.”  


Stan reluctantly laid down next to him, looking up at the sky and seeing that he was right. They could see a lot of stars from where they were, telling him that they were probably further from LA than he had imagined.  


Richie started pointing out the constellations that he knew. Information that had lingered from his space hyperfixation. He traced them out with his finger, but in the midst of his rambling Stan had turned his head to face him.  


He couldn’t help but think about how much he would miss this. Not necessarily laying on the side of the road while Richie talked about the stars, but just Richie. He would miss the way his eyes lit up when he was talking about something he was passionate, the way that no matter how much he tried his hair always remained a mess, how his glasses framed his big blue eyes.  


He would miss being around him physically, knowing that texting and calling wouldn’t be the same. He would miss Richie randomly showing up at his house unannounced and deciding he was staying the night, squeezing next to Stan on his twin sized mattress.  


Stan would just miss _Richie_, and everything that came with that. He had a feeling that he would even miss all of the dirty jokes he made.  


He looked away from his face when he noticed that he had been staring, but luckily Richie hadn’t noticed. He knew that now would be the perfect time to live up to his promise to Bev, but he couldn’t seem to find the words.  


He wanted so badly to just be able to tell Richie how he felt, but every time he opened his mouth, the words died in his throat.  


“Hey Rich,” he managed before cutting himself off.  


Richie abruptly stopped talking, looking over at Stan with the smile still on his face.  


“Wazzup, Staniel?”  


Stan stared at him for a moment, trying with all of his might to say something but nothing that he wanted coming out.  


“Oh, I uh, just wanted to say you’ve got a leaf in your hair,” he said as he reached up to bat away something that wasn’t even there.  


He wished that he could say that he was surprised at himself for chickening out, but it had honestly been expected. He hated himself for it, but his previous doubts came back to tell him it was a bad idea.  


Richie let out an oblivious laugh and nodded, “Why thank you, kind sir.”  


He went back to talking about the stars, leaving Stan to overthink everything yet again. Stan eventually looked back up at the sky, figuring that he should at least try and act like he was paying attention to Richie’s words.  


They stayed like that for a while, Richie telling him all about space while he only half paid attention. Eventually they both got tired and decided to head back to the car, getting in the front seats and pushing the seats back as much as they could. They slept as well as one could while in a car, being woken up bright and early by the sun shining through the windshield.  


Stan yawned as he woke up, stretching out and accidentally hitting the horn. He jumped at the sound, it being enough to wake Richie up as well.  


The other boy groaned, opening his eyes just barely and squinting over at Stan.  


“What time is it?” He asked, though his words had slurred together so much that it had sounded more like ‘Whattye izzit’.  


Stan shrugged, reaching around for his phone until he could find the time on it, “Quarter to 8.”  


Richie let out another groan, not used to being up this early. Stan was used to it though, so it wasn’t as bad to him. He sat his chair up, letting out another yawn into his hand.  


“Come on, let’s get this tire over with so we can start driving again.”  


Richie reluctantly got out of the car with Stan, though not without making a show of complaining about it. They slowly worked together to change the tire, it taking a little bit for Stan to remember how but eventually getting the hang of it. They put the tools back in the trunk when they were done, and they were off again.  


They got stuck in a fair bit of traffic during the drive, but it wasn’t too surprising. They went through a Starbucks drive thru for some coffee and muffins, as neither of them were making it through the rest of the trip without either of them.  


After painstakingly making their way through the traffic, they finally reached UCLA. There was plenty of students milling around already as they navigated their way around, eventually finding where Richie’s dorm building was.  


It was a joint effort to grab all of his stuff, as he had packed quite a bit and neither of them wanted to make another trip. They eventually made it to his dorm, dropping some of the bags in front of the door so Richie could dig out his key. He finally found it a minute later, inserting it and opening the door. The room was luckily empty, so they were able to move all of his stuff in without bothering another person.  


Stan and Richie looked around the room once everything was set down, before eventually looking back at each other.  


“So this is it, huh?” Stan asked with a humorless chuckle.  


For once, Richie didn’t seem to want to use dirty humor to make everything better. He pulled Stan against him, wrapping the shorter boy in a tight hug. He refused to let go for at least a minute, wanting their last hug to be a good one.  


“Good luck getting rid of me, it won’t be this easy,” he mumbled. “Different states don’t mean anything to me, you’re stuck with me.”  


Stan let himself be pulled in, truly not minding the touch. His arms went around Richie to return the hug, and he let out a quiet laugh at his words.  


“I wouldn’t dream of getting rid of you, Tozier,” he said genuinely. “I expect you to annoy me every day when I’m in class, I’m already prepared.”  


They stayed in that position for longer than was probably necessary, neither of them wanting to part. They knew that they had to though, so they pulled away from each other sadly.  


“Well I uh- I guess I should get going,” Stan said, clearing his throat.  


Richie nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, you don’t wanna get caught in too much traffic.  


They both looked at each other, unspoken emotions written all over their faces as Stan’s hand fell to the door knob. He twisted it, about to open it before being overcome by something he had never felt before.  


“You know what? Fuck it.”  


Richie opened his mouth to ask what he had been talking about, but his lips were otherwise occupied before he could do so.  


Stan had walked over to him, reaching up and pulling his face down into a kiss. He rested his hands on his cheeks as Richie’s surprise wore off and he kissed back, just barely calming down the beating of his heart.  


He sucked in a breath as he pulled back, letting his hands fall down from Richie as he took a step back. He seemed to be in shock from his own actions, as that certainly hadn’t been planned.  


“Fuck, I’m sorry. I know I probably should have said something sooner and right before I leave for Washington is the worst possible time I could have done this. I shouldn’t have just kissed you either, that was super shitty of m-”  


He was cut off from his anxious rambling by a pair of lips being pressed back against his, shock filling him up again. He slowly kissed back, relaxing a bit as he felt Richie’s hand on the small of his back. He rested their foreheads together as they parted, blinking slowly as he looked back up at him.  


“It’s about time,” Richie whispered, pulling a surprised laugh out of Stan. “Been waiting for you to do that since freshman year.”  
Stan was having trouble believing that any of this was actually happen, but he decided that if this was a dream then he was going to make it the best dream possible.  


“Sorry it took me 4 years,” he whispered back. “But hey, better late than never?”  


Richie snorted and nodded, pulling away from Stan slightly, “I must say, you do have some impeccable timing.”  


Stan laughed along with him as he looked up at him, but it didn’t take long for his logical thoughts to come back. “How will this even work? I don’t want to tie you down as you’re starting college. That’s the opposite of when somebody wants to be getting into a relationship.”  


Richie shrugged, not thinking it was too big of a deal. “I’ve got a right hand, I think I’ll be good. Besides, you’re just in Washington. How far can that be? We can see each other on breaks and stuff.”  


“It’s over 1000 miles, Rich,” Stan responded, ignoring the crudeness in the first half. He had looked up many times before, trying to see just how far away they would be.  


Richie cringed a bit at the distance, but he was nothing if not determined. “Okay, then maybe we won’t see each other in person that often. But like Bev said the other day, people form relationships online all of the time. I’m willing to give it a try if you are.”  


Stan thought about it for a minute, Richie luckily not trying to hurry him along. He eventually nodded slowly, “Yeah, alright. Let’s give this a try,” he agreed.  


Richie grinned, stepping closer to Stan again. “Yknow, I don’t think Washington will be too sad if you show up a couple of hours late. How about we go explore a little before you leave, huh? Get in some sight seeing before you have to go.”  


Stan nodded, bridging the distance between them. “I’d like that,” he whispered, leaning up one more time. 

_   
_

**Author's Note:**

> Check me out on tumblr @maxine-gayfield


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